YouTube bets big on AI and fandom at Cannes Lions 2025

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan arrived at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity ready to play show-and-tell. Twenty years after its first 19-second clip of a guy at the zoo, YouTube is a very different beast: part talent factory, part pop culture powerhouse. And Mohan was there to explain where it was going next.

“It all began with a 19-second video: ‘Me at the Zoo.’ Then pioneers like iJustine, Smosh and Philip DeFranco started uploading and solidified ‘creator’ as a dream job for millions around the world,” Mohan told the Cannes Lions audience. “Video by video, creator by creator, YouTube became a driving force in culture. A place where trends are born, movements are ignited, and creativity is constantly redefined. Anyone with an idea — whether an individual, artist, studio, or brand — can become a creator here.

“Today, YouTube is THE epicentre of culture. I’m not talking about forgettable fads or one-hit-wonders we scroll right past. I mean culture with a capital ‘C.’ The place where day after day, year after year, the events, conversations and voices that define the moment break through and leave their mark.”

He was clear that this was as much about the next 20 years as the past 20.

“Creators are captivating us like never before,” said Mohan. “And like most startups, they are reimagining the industry that inspired them and creating new jobs for writers, editors, actors and producers. Some are even building state-of-the-art studios.”

He cited French creator Inoxtag as one example. “Last year, his debut documentary, Kaizen, premiered in both cinemas across the country and on YouTube, where it racked up 17 million views in less than 48 hours.”

He also highlighted the way audiences follow their favourite channels across devices.

“Now these creators are coming to the biggest screen in the house — the television,. Viewers now watch over one billion hours of YouTube on their TVs every day… and for more than half of the top 100 most watched YouTube channels in the world, TV is their most watched screen.”

“Creators are pioneering the new TV. And it doesn’t look like the old TV. Viewers want to watch what matters to them, unconstrained by format, genre or style.”

He offered vivid examples of that freedom.

“They want to experience the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, then watch past music performances by their favourite artists. “hey want to livestream the Cannes Film Festival alongside creators’ red carpet reactions and Palme d’Or predictions. They want to watch highlights of the U.S. and France Olympic basketball matchup, followed by a two-hour podcast with a breakdown from NBA legends.”

Mohan turned to podcasting, too.

“Rotten Mango, hosted by creator Stephanie Soo, gained over two million new subscribers in just a year after she began incorporating video,” he said. “She’s now topping our new weekly YouTube podcast charts.”

And then to the culture of fandom.

“Creators clearly have huge cultural power — backed by the relationships they build with their communities of ride-or-die fans. These fandoms don’t just follow culture, they shape it.”

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He gave the example of The Amazing Digital Circus, a dark comedy series.

“The pilot alone racked up over 300-million views,” he said. “But the response from fans — the songs, memes and spinoff content they created — collectively generated 25-billion views.”

Finally, he showed that those online followings often grow into real-world ventures.

“In 2013, a group of creators came together over a shared love of gaming, calling themselves the Sidemen. Today, they’re one of YouTube’s largest collectives, with more than 150-million subscribers across their channels. They’ve created their own merchandise lines, opened a physical store, established a fast-food chain and more. Every year, they compete against other creators in the Sidemen Charity Match. This year, they sold out Wembley Stadium — just like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and BTS.

“My bet for the next 20 years? Creators will flip formats, blend genres and push deeper into the mainstream — as brand ambassadors, big business ventures and visionary storytellers. Communities will continue to surprise us with the power of their collective fandom. And cutting-edge AI technology will push the limits of human creativity. My biggest bet is that YouTube will continue to be the stage where it all happens.”